Mgr Charlie Brown (of the Archdiocese of New York) is 52, has several degrees under his belt, has worked in a parish in the Bronx, and has spent many years in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He actually has not worked in any official diplomatic capacity. Mgr Brown has immediately been appointed as a titular Archbishop - this is considered fitting for the post to which he has been assigned.
He will need all our prayers in the appointment, but God bless Pope Benedict for stepping outside the normal cursus honorum in this imaginative and daring appointment.
3 comments:
I certainly hope that this appointment works out, but the statement that Pope Benedict is determined to do whatever it takes to reform the Church seems at best inaccurate in relation to his appointments. This appointment comes on the heels of the appointment of Bishop Juan Vicente Cordoba Villota S.J. to Fontibon, Columbia. Villota's admiration of Liberation Theology and his opinion that nothing should hinder a woman from being ordained a priest is so well known as to make the appointment a serious scandal.
It seems that for every "good" appointment he makes the pope turns around and appoints two liberals or material Modernists. I don't think his appointments (if that is all we are to look at) demonstrate any serious effort to reform the Church.
Ireland will only say "Peanuts" right back to Charlie Brown.
I am very encouraged by this appointment. There is still a great deal of respect in Ireland for Americans, particularly those of the straight-talking variety. It's what the local "establishment", both ecclesiastical and secular, needs, who have dwelt too long in wilful denial, obfuscation (ecclesiastical) or ill-informed, lazy and prejudiced hostility (secular).
I hate to say it but next year's Eucharistic Congress will not be a very heartening event. However it will show up painfully just how pathetic things have become over here, especially on the liturgical front. O.k., o.k. I know... that's not everything. But it is still damned important. And the standard of the everyday liturgy is a ready symbol of how things have gone on the slide for over 40 years now.
So, prayers for our new Nuncio agus fáilte 's beannachtaí dó.
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